Meet the Pet Blogger- Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes

When you add a dog to the family usually you think about everything you need to teach them. Pamela gets us thinking about what our dogs can teach us on her blog Something Wagging This Way Comes.

Meet Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes

Pamela and Honey

Please share a little bit about yourself and your pets.

I’m really nosy about people’s stories so I’m looking forward to reading all these interviews. Thanks, Dawn, for letting me join in the fun.I’m also a wanna-be adventurer with a tolerant husband and a Golden Retriever. My current dream is to move aboard a sailboat. But until we’re ready, today’s adventure is building the confidence of our current foster dog, Chèrie.

How did your love of animals start?

I learned at an early age that dogs were much easier to get along with than people. My first dog provided friendship and a feeling of security in a chaotic and unhappy home.

As an adult, I can’t imagine living in a home with a little bit of furry love.

What made you decide to start a pet blog?

After living for eighteen years with reactive dogs, I decided to get a puppy who would have the best start in life. I began Something Wagging This Way Comes to keep a record of socializing and raising Honey. And I hoped that it would also eventually chronicle the volunteer work we would do as a team.

When we began fostering puppies last year, both Something Wagging and Honey fulfilled their destinies.

Now I’m just too addicted to stop.

How long have you been blogging?

I started Something Wagging the day before we brought Honey home, March 23, 2010.

In January 2011, I became a glutton for punishment and started a second blog, Hands on Home Buyer, the simple, irreverent, and informative guide to buying your first home. After a brief break, I’m planning to relaunch Hands on Home Buyer.

How would you describe your blog to a first time visitor?

Something Wagging This Way Comes is a thinking person’s dog blog. And it’s a feeling person’s dog blog. I believe that the more we understand our dogs, the better humans we become.

It’s also a blog where the commenters are smart and insightful. The comments are often better than the original posts!If a reader could only read 1 post on your blog which post would you recommend?

But more importantly, it’s one of those posts where the thoughtful and compassionate comments made a good post so much better.

I love my readers.

What has been the best part and what has been the hardest part about blogging?

I guess I gave that first answer away in the last question. I love the pet lovers community.

I’m thrilled by the honesty, humor, and thoughtfulness of the folks I’ve met through blogging.

Something Wagging This Way Comes

The hardest part of keeping up with Something Wagging is that I have more ideas than I have time to write. And I struggle with the fact that blogging costs money but I’m very reluctant (I think neurotic is the word) to do things that will help my blog pay for itself.

The challenges with Hands on Home Buyer were different–I struggled with working as a housing counselor during the day while blogging on the same subject. It meant that some days I spent 19 hours doing home buying stuff.

But my concerns about earning money from my blogs while maintaining my integrity are the same for both.

What have you learned from blogging?

More computer stuff than I ever imagined. Who’d have thought I’d figure out how to write simple HTML?

On the other side, I’ve also learned that all my character flaws and kooky quirks follow me into the virtual world too. I’d love to be a better person online–conscientious, with good follow through–than I am in real life. But, alas, I’m as bad a housekeeper on my blog as I am in my home.

If you want to tell cute stories about your pets, don’t think you need to do serious posts on health problems. If your passion is animal welfare, don’t listen to people who say you’ll never be successful unless all your posts are less than 500 words and have a catchy headline.

14 comments to Meet the Pet Blogger- Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes

Fantastic post. I completely agree with the pet lover community. It’s amazing and passionate. I’ve received so much support from dog lovers and from bloggers too. I’m having a ball. If you would have told me that I would know HTML coding a few years ago, I would have said “HTML What?” I love reading about a blogger who has such a similar story and experience as I do and I can’t wait to check out the blog!

Sorry I’m so late to the party. But thanks for giving me the chance to appear on your blog. I feel like I’m in such good company.BTW, will you be interviewing yourself any time soon? I’d love to see it.